German police break up an environmental activists’ camp near Tesla plant outside Berlin

BERLIN (AP) — German police have broken up a protest camp housing environmental activists in a forest near the Tesla electric car factory in Grünheide outside Berlin, citing violations of public safety and order. The protesters, who were removed Tuesday, had occupied the forest near the Tesla plant since the end of February over concerns about water and deforestation. Police were first deployed at the protest camp on Monday to temporarily evacuate parts of the camp with tree houses due to a planned search for unexploded World War II ordnance. However, the activists refused to leave and instead climbed high up some of the trees. German news agency dpa reported that police eventually pulled six people out of tree houses because they did not want to leave voluntarily.